The NCAA and its Nonsense Rules Are Ruining College Basketball

The hype around prized incoming freshman James Wiseman, who chose to stay local and hook up with Penny Hardaway at Memphis, was palpable. Through three games, Wiseman looked all but unstoppable, averaging a double-double and helping lead the charge for a dangerous Tigers squad.

Leave it to the NCAA to find some way to throw a wrench into this potentially historic Memphis team, as they announced that Wiseman would be suspended for 12 games for taking improper benefits that went against the NCAA's archaic amateurism statute. The big man has since left Memphis and declared for the NBA Draft, leaving us fans with a combined three college games between Wiseman, LaMelo Ball, and RJ Hampton -- the latter two of whom are playing professionally in Australia right now.

It's hard to say what's worse, suspending Wiseman for taking improper benefits when he wasn't even 18 yet, or further tarnishing his name by forcing him to donate $11,500 to charity, in effect fining him. It's just a mess all around.

Either way, NCAA president Mark Emmert needs to start answering questions as it pertains to why college athletes and programs continue to have their reputation tarnished for going against an amateurism mandate looking sillier by the day.

Wiseman, Ball, and Hampton will all be in the NBA next year, but that doesn't excuse the fact that the NCAA is watering down the quality of its product to protect an ancient amateurism rule. Eventually, more top players are going to follow in their footsteps and spur college ball in favor of taking their talents to the G-League or overseas.

Change within the NCAA is long overdue, and until these longstanding amateurism rules are relinquished, we will see more and more players seeking out alternatives to college hoops.